Sweet Potato Pancakes

Pancake Day is next Tuesday. Even though I don’t participate in Lent, I can appreciate any excuse to eat pancakes. Since my little girl asks for “pancakes with dip” almost anytime I ask her what she wants to eat, I know she will enjoy the holiday too.

Our family does breakfast for dinner once a week, which is nice for many reasons. First, it is a simple, fast dinner that requires less planning. Second, it gives us a chance to try out new recipes that I don’t always have the energy for in the morning. My family loved these hearty pancakes, and I hope you will, too! If these aren’t the flavor you’re after, don’t forget apple pancakes and pumpkin pancakes from the archive!

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Pancakes (Makes about 10-12 pancakes)

1 ¼ cups white whole wheat flour
¼ cup chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup fat-free milk (may need more for thinning batter)
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato (about 1 small sweet potato)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg yolks
2 large egg whites

1. Combine flour, walnuts, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a large bowl.

2. Combine milk through egg yolks in another bowl, stirring until smooth. Add to flour mixture, stirring until just combined. If batter is too thick, add more milk to thin.

3. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into batter. Let batter rest for 10 minutes.

4. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Pour about ¼ cup batter per pancake onto pan. Cook until tops are bubbly and edges look cooked. Flip, cooking until bottoms are done.

Nutritional Information (Amount per Pancake):

Calories: 127
Protein: 5 g
Fat: 4 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 31 mg
Carbohydrates: 20 g
Fiber: 3 g
Sodium: 77 mg

Recipe Notes: You can cook your sweet potato however is easiest for you. Roasting it in the oven will give it the best flavor, but I wouldn’t turn on the oven just for that. I microwaved mine for about 5 minutes after pricking it with a fork. Peeling, chopping, and boiling would also work. I added about another ¼ cup milk to my batter to make it more workable. The batter will be thicker once you add the egg whites and let it stand. These are a hearty pancake, so the end batter will be a little thicker than regular pancakes. But still aim for something pourable.

Source: slightly adapted from Cooking Light